Surfactant composition and method for treating bitumen froth

Abstract

The invention relates to a surfactant composition comprising an ionic liquid prepared from an unsubstituted or substituted primary, secondary or tertiary amine, or from an unsubstituted or substituted pyridine, amidine or guanidine with at least one fatty acid and/or resin acid. The invention also relates to a method for treating bitumen froth from a separation process, where bitumen is separated from mineral solids. The method comprises addition of said surfactant composition to the diluent and/or to the froth before phase separation.

1 . A surfactant composition comprising at least one ionic liquid prepared from an unsubstituted or substituted primary, secondary or tertiary amine, or from an unsubstituted or substituted pyridine, amidine or guanidine with at least one fatty acid and/or resin acid, wherein said surfactant composition comprises
 (i) choline and at least one fatty acid and/or resin acid; and/or   (ii) an unsubstituted or substituted pyridine, amidine, or guanidine and at least one fatty acid and/or resin acid; and   
       further wherein the addition of said surfactant composition to diluted bitumen froth that comprises bitumen, water and mineral solids results in a phase separation of said water, bitumen and mineral particles. 
     
     
         2 . The surfactant composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a mixture of fatty acids and/or resin acids. 
     
     
         3 . The surfactant composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid is selected from stearic acid and/or isostearic acid or the fatty acid originates from Kraft pulp process or from biodiesel production. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The surfactant composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid comprises tall oil fatty acid. 
     
     
         6 . The surfactant composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the substituted tertiary amine is choline. 
     
     
         7 . The surfactant composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the substituted guanidine is tetramethylguanidine (TMG). 
     
     
         8 . The surfactant composition according to, wherein the surfactant composition comprises two or more different ionic liquids. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . Method for treating bitumen froth from a separation process,
 where bitumen is separated from mineral solids, the method comprising   obtaining bitumen froth that comprises bitumen, water, and mineral solids,   adding organic diluent, such as naphthenic or paraphenic solvent, to the froth,   providing a phase separation between an organic phase, aqueous phase and solid phase,
 wherein a surfactant composition according to  claim 1  is added to the diluent and/or to the froth before the phase separation in amount of less than 1500 ppm, preferably less than 1000 ppm. 
   
     
     
         11 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The surfactant composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said resin acid is an abietic-type acid and/or a pimaric-type acid or said resin acid comprises at least one acid selected from the group consisting of abietic acid, neoabietic acid, dehydroabietic acid, palustric acid, pimaric acid, levopimaric acid, and/or isopimaric acid. 
     
     
         17 . A composition comprising a bitumen froth that comprises bitumen, water, and mineral solids to which is added:
 (i) an organic diluent; and   (ii) less than 1500 ppm of a surfactant composition which comprises
 (a) at least one ionic liquid that includes choline and at least one fatty acid and/or resin acid; and/or 
 (b) at least one ionic liquid that includes an unsubstituted or substituted pyridine, amidine, or guanidine and at least one fatty acid and/or resin acid; 
   
       wherein said addition results in a phase separation of the water, bitumen, and mineral particles comprised in the diluted bitumen froth. 
     
     
         18 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the surfactant composition is added in amount of 5-1500 ppm, 10-1000 ppm, or 10-500 ppm. 
     
     
         19 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein said bitumen froth is optionally obtained from raw materials selected from the group consisting of oil sand, oil shale, oil contaminated sand, oil contaminated earth, tailing pond material, and/or sand containing crude oil. 
     
     
         20 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the obtained bitumen froth comprises 30-75 weight-% of bitumen, 15-35 weight-% of water, and 5-20 weight-% of mineral solids before the phase separation step or the organic phase in the phase separated froth comprises 83-95 weight-% of bitumen, 0.1-0.5 weight-% of water, and 0.0-0.5 weight-% of mineral solids after the phase separation step. 
     
     
         21 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the composition is further treated by centrifugation or gravity separation during the phase separation step. 
     
     
         22 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the surfactant composition comprises a mixture of fatty acids and/or resin acids. 
     
     
         23 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the fatty acid is selected from stearic acid or isostearic acid or the fatty acid originates from Kraft pulp process or from biodiesel production. 
     
     
         24 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the substituted guanidine is tetramethylguanidine (TMG). 
     
     
         25 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the surfactant composition comprises two or more different ionic liquids. 
     
     
         26 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the resin acid comprises an abietic-type acid and/or a pimaric-type acid and/or the resin acid comprises at least one acid selected from the group consisting of abietic acid, neoabietic acid, dehydroabietic acid, palustric acid, pimaric acid, levopimaric acid, and/or isopimaric acid.